Liberal Democrat MP highlights the level of violet crime in the West Midlands (Birmingham Liberal Democrats)

Birmingham Liberal Democrats <info@birminghamlibdems.org.uk>

Liberal Democrat MP highlights the level of violet crime in the West Midlands

July 21, 2005 7:00 PM

John Hemming MP

A regional analysis of the levels of crime has found that the West Midlands has the highest regional level of violent crime in the country. The West Midlands has 655 violent crimes per 10,000 people with a total number of 273,000 violent crimes in 2004/5. The UK average is 565 and the second highest is the North West at 613 and 611 in the South East.

John Hemming Liberal Democrat MP for Birmingham Yardley said "Notwithstanding successes in many areas in the fight against crime, it is quite clear that the West Midlands has a substantial problem with violent crime. I am particularly concerned about the way in which there is a perception that people can commit crimes without risk of prosecution for the first crime. I am doing a considerable amount of work to identify whether Home Office guidelines need urgent changing to make criminals fear the law."